“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” At the sound of that voice, I stiffened immediately.
An Asian woman of medium height strode up to us. She wore an immaculate suit, and her dark hair was pulled back in a severe bun.
“Ah, hello, Detective Li.” I put on my best false smile.
“I had heard that you were being dragged in on a case. Heaven help us.” She looked over to Serena. “Well, who have we here?”
“No one you need concern yourself with, Li.” I growled. I took a step to place myself between Li and Serena.
Serena protested. “Hey, I don't need your protection.” She snapped, and I didn't even need to see back over my shoulder to see that she was showing her fangs. The look on Li's face, of shock and initial fear, was all I needed to see.
Li took a step back. “Of course.” She looked up to me. “Carpenter.” She hissed, and retreated across the room.
“Who was that?”
“Someone who knows too much,” I muttered. “Come on, let's go.”
“I meant what I said. I don't need you for protection.” Serena said as she followed me across the room. “I am, you know, a vampire now.”
I sighed. “You're right. You've also been a vampire less than twenty-four hours.” I crossed the room to a corner office, where a black woman with graying hair was sitting.
I knocked on the door, where I was greeted with a gruff, “Come in.”
We entered, and I took a look around. There were a number of commendations on the wall I noted, as well as mountains of paperwork. “Captain Novak? I'm Eric Carpenter. I was called in to assist Detective Hernandez with Katrina and Luis Otero's murder.”
She looked up. Her dark eyes scanned both Serena and I, studying us for a moment. “Take a seat.” She gestured to the chairs in front of the desk, where Serena and I both sat down. “You're Eric Carpenter? Well, a pleasure to meet you.” She nodded, then looked to Serena. “Who's your partner? The Amy that Hernandez has noted in his reports?”
Serena shook her head. “I'm Serena. I was, um, involved with another case he's working on, and I'm staying with him for the moment.”
Novak glanced back to me. “I'll vouch for her,” I said.
“Very well,” She relaxed slightly. “I suppose Hernandez told you about what it is we do here in AIU.”
“Arcane investigations, but I imagine it stretches further than that.”
“Indeed.” She took a pen, and started to write on a legal pad. “AIU is involved in dealing with Arcanes, violent crimes, and illegal activities linked to them. We are equipping a unit to be able to investigate and apprehend Arcane offenders. Which, honestly, has been a rather hard thing to do.”
“I'd imagine,” I said. I was all too aware of how strong, fast, and tough most Arcanes were. “I suppose the question would be, how?”
“Training, and equipment. We've been working with the California Bureau of Investigation and the Feds on some new measures to prepare for most eventualities.”
“Interesting,” Serena said. “So, how do you guys prepare?”
“We have a few vampires who train with my officers.” She cleared her throat. “That, however, is not why I asked for you to come today.”
I nodded. “You want to know more about the guy who's offering to help you.”
“Indeed,” She took a sip from a paper coffee cup. “So, talk about Eric Carpenter.”
“First of all, a witch.” I watched for her reaction, which was for the most part, neutral. “I'm guessing Hernandez told you about that?”
“He did, but you volunteering the information is appreciated. So, what does a witch entail?”
Out of the corner of my eye, Serena leaned forward. I continued. “I can use magic. It's complicated, and I'm not too proficient with it, but I can use it.”
“And what exactly can you do with magic?”
“Tracking spells, some minor stuff. I'm not going to firebomb a place, if that's what you're asking.”
Novak smiled just a little. “Arson on the mind?”
“Absolutely never,” I shot back. “I'm not much one for fire. Besides, the energy required for something like that is immense.”
“So, how does it work?” Novak asked.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, it's complicated. I could do a demonstration some time, but it's not something I just pull out.”
“Very well,” Novak gave a quick nod. “So, with the Otero case, what could you tell me so far about it?”
“From what I could tell so far? The killer knew their stuff. They used silver to restrain both of them. As for the killing itself, that was odd. The knife, the way they were killed. It makes me think that whoever did this, they had some idea of using this as a ritual. Or at least they wanted to make it look like one.”
“And what might they have been trying to accomplish?”
“That's what we're trying to find out.” I shrugged. “I'm doing some research. Captain Novak, the supernatural community of San Francisco is just as interested as your department is in catching these killers.”
For a moment, a quizzical glance formed in Novak's eyes, but she seemed to recall. “Yes, you're something of an ambassador for the Arcanes, correct?”
“Something like that.” I relaxed back into my seat a little. “I act as a liaison when it's required. The Arcanes can be somewhat old fashioned with the way they do things at times.”
“Of course.” She pulled a folder out from the stack she had on her desk. “Here's the reports from the crime scene and autopsies. I'll give you these, and keep you on the loop, on one condition.”
There was always a catch. I gave my best polite smile. “Of course, Captain. What can I do?”
She smiled. “Access. I want to be able to talk with the supernatural leaders and parties when a case concerns them.”
“I can certainly help with that. A lot of them are fairly sociable people.” I didn't mention Finnegan. The were alpha of San Francisco was a jerk. “In addition, I can also offer my services on cases, help with training, or consultations.”
Novak smiled. “You're very civic minded, Mister Carpenter.”
“Call it a good country upbringing.” I offered a smile, and grabbed the files. “Thanks for the info, Captain. I'll keep in touch.”
Novak stood with me, and offered her hand. “And thank you, Mister Carpenter. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future. Keep us in the loop?”
“Yes, Captain, of course.” I nodded, and looked to Serena. “I think we're done here, Serena. Let's get going.”
Chapter 7
Serena and I departed the police precinct. I waited until we got out to the car before I spoke. “Can you drive?”
The vampire blanched at me. “I can. I would rather not with this blasted sun.”
I groaned. “San Francisco isn't that bad. Fine, you get to read the autopsy file out loud to me.” I offered her the file, and Serena rolled her eyes as she grabbed it.
I got into the driver's seat, and started up the car. I started driving, and looked out of the corner of my eye as she started to read from the file. “All right well...Wait, vampires are still alive?”
“Partially.” I said. Vampire biology wasn't something I tried to ask too much about. “Their heart still beats. It's just slowed down, approximately a beat every ten seconds. All that blood needs a way to circulate still.”
She shrugged. “Well, it looks like they were drugged. The coroner doesn't recognize it, but it's being sent to the state labs for testing.”
“Well, that means it's pretty useless.” I sighed. “California's lab is so backed up we'll be waiting for that for ages.”
“All right, then, well, from the cut marks, they can determine the knife that was being used wasn't any standard kitchen material. The cuts suggest something like a hunting knife.”
I thought on that for a moment. Amy had one or two blades that might have matched up to something like that. “All right, that's something we can maybe work
with.” I thought for a moment. “Listen, we need to get you back to Bakersfield so you can submit a statement. Would you be alright if Amy drove you back there tonight, you make a statement for the cops, and we work from there?”
Serena frowned for a moment. “Well, sure. I just,” She sighed. “It's been sort of interesting just working. It's been keeping my mind off what happened.”
I nodded. “Right. It's...well, it's shitty what happened to you. It just is wrong. But going back there, getting it out, it's at least a step to moving forward, all right?”
Serena paused a moment, considering. “All right. Amy and I will head down there, then. What about you, what are you doing?”
“Oh, me? I'm going clubbing.”
I never really was much one for the wild party scene. I was raised in a tiny Georgia town, was a study bug throughout college, and apart from a few things Matt had dragged me in to, I didn't do much in the way of partying.
However, it wasn't my choice a lot of the time when it came to the supernatural communities. A lot of Arcanes, vampires in particular, tended to be nocturnal. It led to them running a lot of late night attractions. Baroness Yukiko ran Ruby, a dance club in the Covens, the Arcane neighborhood of San Francisco. The Covens had been a project ongoing for several years, the product of several Arcane businesspeople to create a neighborhood where they could be themselves.
Ruby itself was situated on one of the main streets. I decided to dress like the Knight of the Bay for a change, with a button down white shirt and a blue jacket. I cut in front of the line, walking along the roped off area towards the front door. A large man stood in front of the door with a clipboard in one hand, and a headset in another.
He gave me a long look over. “There's a line,” He grunted at me, in a way that clued me in immediately. Why did shifters always get bouncer duty?
“I'm here on business. Tell the Baroness that Sir Eric, Knight of the County of Iron and Gold, is here to visit.” That one always gets some reaction.
The bouncer gave me a look over, and nodded. “All right, then, go on in.” He shifted aside.
I smirked. The Knight card was one of the easiest to get me into any place in the Bay that the supernatural owned. I brushed past the bulky were and headed into the club.
The sounds of house music filled my ears, and I bit down the urge to just be cranky. Vampires might be old-fashioned, but the music certainly wasn't. I moved past the front area, ignoring the coat check, doing my best to make my way to the bar, where I was sure I could find some sort of management.
There, I began the process of trying to grab a bartender's attention. Having been on the other side before, I knew a few tricks. Keep the shoulders straight, make eye contact. After a minute or two of waiting, I got the attention of a bartender, a man with blonde hair so bright I thought it was peroxide for a moment.
“Why, hello here, what can I get for you?”
“The Baroness. I have business.” I really needed a badge or something for the Arcane community.
“Listen, not everyone gets their wish. The boss is a very busy woman.” The bartender with his bleached hair offered me an insincere smile. “Anything I can get you while you wait?”
“Oh, don't even,” I snarled. “I'm Eric Carpenter, and the Knight of the Bay doesn't do waiting lists.”
The bartender shrunk back just a moment. “What's the Knight of the Bay?”
“You're kidding.” I sighed. With a hair do like that, I was expecting him to be a vampire. He was human. Well, get one wrong every once in a while. “I'm someone your boss really doesn't want to keep waiting. Make a call or something if you need to. And while I wait, I'd like a beer.” I peeled a bill out of my wallet, and laid it on the bar.
After Billy Idol Mortal gave me my bottle, I peeled away and found myself a stool. I started to look around the place, taking in the scenery. A DJ was on stage, and a few dancers surrounded him, performing a number with contortion I thought I'd have to watch the Olympics to get. I watched them, taking in their movements, watching hips gyrate, their abs flex as they bent, and realized that the dancers were members of the undead. In the bright, neon lights of the stage, it was hard to recognize the pallor of a vampire, and as I sipped on my beer, I couldn't help but imagine that this was a pretty good hunting ground for vampires looking for a meal.
An Asian man in a white muscle tee and leather pants came up to me. I offered a smile, and I summoned just a bit of magic to check his aura. He was undead, and he wasn't old enough yet to give the cool, soothing sensation that vampires gave out.
“Mister Carpenter? My Lady wishes to speak with you.” He gave a curt, polite bow, and I stood to return the favor, bowing with my beer bottle in hand. Not an easy feat.
“Fantastic. And what may I call you?”
“I'm James, one of my Lady's assistants.” He explained, and gestured across the dance floor. “She is in the back.”
I followed James across the dance floor, heading through the crowd of people. As various dancers bumped into me, and I mumbled apologies, I could feel a number of energies. Humans with excited auras, vampires, even one or two I didn't recognize.
James led me towards the back, where he opened a door for me. The hallway I walked into had one side lined with doors, make up rooms and offices, I supposed. The other side had fewer doors, and most of the walls were covered with photos and news clippings. A number of them were from popular musical acts, as well as cast photos from various dancer groups that had worked at the club.
James opened up a door, and said. “My lady is still preparing. She requests you wait here.”
I looked inside the room. There were chairs, a couch, and a table with a tall pot of coffee in the center. I walked into the room, beer bottle still in my right hand. “Your hospitality is excellent, James.”
“Anything for the Knight.” James's voice was polite, almost excessively so. “We'll be with you momentarily.” He promised, and departed.
I found myself one of the armchairs and planted myself in it. I sipped at my beer, and waited. I reviewed what I knew of Yukiko. I had met her once at a meeting for high-up Arcanes. She was one of two Barons in the Bay, lesser players who answered to Ishmael. The other was Vela in Oakland. He wasn't as respected as Yukiko, who had clawed her way to the Barony by gaining a level of financial control over the Covens and supporting all the right political plays. I didn't know Yukiko's age, but she had come off the boat in the twenties already a powerful vampire.
The big question was her powers. Vampires, more than the Red Angels or weres, had an ability to grow abilities as they grew older. Some of them bordered on psychic, while others had even more extremes in terms of strength and toughness. A vampire could live to be one thousand and never develop powers, or come back as a vampire fresh with the ability to hypnotize. It was all about the bloodlines. Powerful vampires made powerful spawn.
The door opened, but who came in wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It was a vampire, I could feel the power instantly.
Yukiko, however, was not a man, and certainly not a white one. The vampire was six feet even, with dark hair that fell to his shoulders. There was a lazy, easy smile on his features, giving him a look somewhere between boyish petulance and lazy promise. He wore worn black jeans and an unbuttoned blue shirt, revealing expanses of pale flesh and a six-pack.
Undead, gorgeous, and a gym rat. Sometimes life was not fair.
“Well, well, look what comes knocking at our door.” His voice had hints of an English accent, though it was significantly dampened. Centuries away from the motherland would do that, I suppose.
“I don't think I know you, but you definitely aren't the Baroness.” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
The vampire gave a mock bow. “Oh, but I am so rude. I'm Caleb. I'm one of Yukiko's lieutenants.”
I watched as Caleb strode over to me. He had that easy, lazy grace that vampires got after a century or two of undeath.
He leaned over the chair, placing
a hand on either arm of the chair. He leaned over me, and I got the distinct sense I was being sized up.
“You know, we usually do introductions before I let a vampire sniff me up.” I said. I leaned forward, so our faces drew closer. “Back off.”
“Oh, of course, my friend,” He leaned in closer, and he nipped at the air before backing up. “I've never smelled a witch before.”
I laughed. “You and every other vamp under two hundred. I should just make you all take a number and line up.”
A smile touched his face for just a moment. “Rarities are always so sought after.” He said, voice soft. His dark eyes looked to mine, and I felt the magnetism of his eyes.
Well, that explained something. One of the varied coterie of vampire powers, hypnotism and mind games. I could feel the power of his gaze, focusing on me. “Really, the hypnotism?” I bit my lip, using the pain to focus my mind. The haze of his power started to flood back.
“Come on, Mister Carpenter, I could show you so much.” Caleb whispered. He placed a hand on my arm, and I felt the pain of his grasp.
Something told me that I was not going to like Caleb in the long term. I did the first thing that came to mind. Looking back, it was either very brave, or very stupid.
I whispered to him. “Then lean closer, Caleb.” I said, keeping my voice inviting.
The vampire leaned forward, and I could feel his cool skin approach closer, inches away from my face, the pull of his dark eyes tempting me, his pupils swelling.
In one fluid motion, I grabbed my gun, cleared it from the shoulder holster, and jammed it under Caleb's ribs. “Cut the vampire mojo and get the hell off me.”
Caleb flicked his tongue out. “Tease.” He scolded me.
I responded by twisting the barrel further into him. “Back. Off.”
“Caleb, that is quite enough.”
Baroness Yukiko was standing in the doorway of the room, flanked by two suit-clad bodyguards. The Baroness had the look of a young Japanese woman, with calm features and brown eyes that held a precise intelligence. She offered me a thin smile as she entered.
Blood Sport (The American Arcane Book 2) Page 5
